Monsoons unlock a whole new aura of green and serenity in Maharashtra – like the “green saturation” has been turned to a 100%.
In spite of the recent intense rains which has crippled life in some regions of this beautiful state – we were welcomed with stunning vistas, impeccable roads and the sweetest people who truly personify ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, a Sanskrit verse that translates to ‘consider the guest as god’.
Motorcycles:
Day 1: Bangalore > Belgaum > Amboli Ghat > Sawantwadi
- Distance: 605 kms
- Stay: Hotel Renuka Palace, Sawantwadi @ 1260 INR/night/room (Non-AC)
- Parking for motorcycles: Sheltered parking within hotel premises
Must-do Things:
- Soak-in the beautiful landscape of Western Ghats laced with mist, waterfalls and the twisty-roads of the Amboli Ghat
- Belt delicious chaats in Sawantwadi coupled with a lazy stroll around the lake within the town
Day 2: Sawantwadi > Malvan > Kudal > Ratnagiri (via MSH 4 aka Maharashtra State Highway 4)
- Distance: 201 kms
- Stay: Mango Villa, Ratnagiri @ 1600 INR/night/room (Non-AC)
- Parking for motorcycles: Sheltered parking within homestay
Must-do Things:
- Ride the MSH 4 – Ditch the NH 66 and take this state highway that offers pristine views of the landscape and beaches along the route
- Savor delicious food at Hotel Amantran, Ratnagiri (My personal favorite being the meal-thali)
- Visit the Ratnagiri Fort (south-side to go inside the Lighthouse) – Ratnagiri Lighthouse allows visitors to enter the Lighthouse for public between 4 pm to 6 pm
Day 3: Ratnagiri > Devrukh > Marleshwar > Amba Ghat > Panhala > Kolhapur
- Distance: 180 kms
- Stay: Digvijay Residency, Kolhapur (AirBnB) @ 900 INR/night/room (Non-AC)
- Parking for motorcycles: Sheltered parking within the house
Must-do Things:
- En-route to Marleshwar Falls – Imagine looking at about 30+ waterfalls in a single frame!!
- Ride through Amba Ghat – beautiful twisty road best relished only on a motorcycle!!
- Visit Panhala Fort, one of the largest forts in the Deccan region
Day 4: Kolhapur > Sajjangad Fort > Thoseghar Falls > Satara > Wai > Panchgani > Mahabaleshwar
- Distance: 235 kms
- Stay: Hirkani Garden Resort, Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani road @ 1000 INR/night/room (Non-AC)
- Parking for motorcycles: Sheltered parking within the resort
Must-do Things:
- Visit Sajjangad Fort and Thoseghar Falls
- Bun-maska and chai at Lucky Bakery, Panchgani
Day 5: Mahabaleshwar > Poladpur > Varandh Ghat > Bhor > Lonavala
- Distance: 235 kms
- Stay: Ferreira Resort, Lonavala @ 1000 INR/night/room (Non-AC)
- Parking for motorcycles: Sheltered parking within the resort
Must-do Things:
- Varandh Ghat – the most scenic ghat I have ever visited, but laced with the most-horrible roads (worth the scenery)
- Relish Dryfruit, soft Chikkis at Maganlal and Chocolate Fudge at Cooper’s at Lonavala
Day 6: Lonavala > Karjat > Mhasa > Malshej Ghat > Alephata > Pune
- Distance: 270 kms
- Stay: We were hosted by our dear friend Alok in Pune
Must-do Things:
- En-route to Malshej – brilliant roads and vistas
- Stopover at MTDC Malshej for tea and snacks with stunning views of Malshej Ghat (if the mist obliges: D)
Day 7 & 8: Pune – to rejuvenate the motorcycles and ourselves
We revelled with delicious foods @ Puneri Misal at Bedekar Tea Stall and Bun Mask Chai, Kheema Pav at Café GoodLuck, Kalyan Bhel, Marz-o-rin and Kayani Bakery.
Day 9: Pune > Bangalore
The most boring part of the ride, since our Maharashtra Ride was over and the arrow-straight National Highway (NH48/AH47) added to our woes.
Total distance covered during the Maharashtra Ride: 3000 kms
I truly believe that the monsoons are the best time to visit Maharashtra, everything is so enchanting, full of life and devoid of the tourist-rush.
Thank you for the wonderful hospitality and hosting us and our motorcycles!!
Hey Ajay – whatta trip you had…reading through this I actually relived my days in Maharashtra….have gone through most of these belts by road during my college days…way back in 90s and the scenic beauty then was much more than what you have experienced. But all said and done what you have experienced by itself is a sight for us in India 🙂
– Varandh Ghat – the most scenic ghat I have ever seen in South India!!???
Why South India???
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Brijesh – thank you for the overwhelming comment – I think pictures convey just 10% of the beauty – one has to visit them in person – the views these places behold in monsoon is beyond words and pictures 🙂
Personally I love the views of Spiti valley more ( read biased towards Himalayas:p) – hence varandh is the best so far in South India 🙂
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Wow..Lovely pictures mate 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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That’s a lot of useful info, thank you! 🙂
I was planning to do this ride this year, could you let me know what month you went in? I’d want to go when the monsoon’s on its last legs, probably last week of August.
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Hello there – I rode in the 1st week of August, best wishes for your ride, looking forward to travelogue 🙂
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